SPITFIRE
by wavyfloral
Summary: When Bellamy Prince first met Jason Todd, they were both disgruntled preteens and, despite their clashing personalities, fast friends. As far as they knew, their friendship was one that would last for years, unable to be broken. Together, they could withstand any trial or tribulation life threw their way. Oh, how wrong they were.


**I do not own the DC universe.**

"Each friend represents a world in us,

a world possibly not born until they arrive,

and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

― Anais Nin, T_he Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1_

* * *

When Bellamy Prince first met Jason Todd, she wasn't in a good mood. Diana was adamant that she woke up early that day, the coffee machine refused to work, and to top it all off, it was pouring rain outside.

"Why are we going to Gotham?" Bellamy groaned, slumping against the seatbelt in Diana Prince's car. "It's all dark and cold, and you _know_ I don't like the cold!"

Diana glanced to the side, chuckling at the preteen next to her. "A friend of mine called for some help," she replied vaguely. "Besides, he has a son your age—you could make a new friend!"

Bellamy just slumped further into her seat, crossing her arms. "I don't _wanna_ make a new friend," she muttered. "I've already got you, an' Ollie, an' Arthur, an' Dinah, an'—"

"Bellamy," Diana interrupted, "how many of your friends are actually your age?" When the young girl didn't respond, she continued, "See? This could be good for you."

Huffing, Bellamy let her head fall back, hitting the leather seat with a muffled thump. "Fine," she said eventually. "But I'm not making any promises."

Diana smiled coyly. "Of course, Bell."

* * *

When they finally reached their destination, Bellamy hopped out of the car, clutching her umbrella tight, and her jaw immediately dropped. A giant eloquent house stood in front of her, looking more like a castle than anything.

Bellamy ran back to Diana, who had just exited the car herself. "Dee!" She tugged on Diana's coat sleeve. "Dee, look! It's huge!"

A deep, unfamiliar voice chuckled from behind her. "Glad you like it."

Bellamy jumped, whipping around to see a tall man standing by the front of the house, a boy standing next to him, looking uncomfortable.

"Bruce," Diana said, moving forward, her hand outstretched. "It's good to see you."

Bruce eyed her hand briefly before pulling her into a hug instead. "Good to see you, Diana." As they pulled back, he motioned to the boy beside him. "This is Jason, my ward."

Jason let out a small grunt, rolling his eyes, but he offered a smile nonetheless.

Grinning, Diana grabbed Bellamy by the shoulder, pushing her in front of her. "This is Bellamy. Say hi," she urged her quietly.

Bellamy opted not to say anything, giving a lazy salute and a wry grin instead.

"It's nice to meet you, Bellamy," Bruce said, a smaller but equally wry smile on his face as he led the way into the house.

Once inside, Bellamy was once again in awe, looking at everything from bookshelves that were so tall they reached the ceiling and expensive-looking busts that were occasionally placed in the hallways. Eventually, they reached a room that had a few comfortable chairs, more bookshelves, and a fireplace in the center of the far wall, a small fire crackling contently.

Bruce stopped, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Diana and I have a lot to discuss, so you and Bellamy will stay here for now. It shouldn't take long."

Jason took a step back, tearing his shoulder from Bruce's grip. "Why can't I come with you? I'm _your_ partner!"

"This is too big for you. It's too big for _me_; that's why Diana is here." Bruce replied, stepping back. He made his way out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Alfred should be by to check on you. Diana, let's go."

Diana nodded, looking back at Bellamy. After eyeing her for a moment, she held out her hand. "Hand them over."

Bellamy feigned confusion. "What d'you mean?"

"You know the rule, Bellamy," Diana said sternly. "Now hand them over."

"Fine," Bellamy huffed. She shoved her hand into her jacket pocket, pulling out a small box of matches and a bright purple lighter and slapped them into Diana's open palm. Pulling her hand back, she crossed her arms and looked down, pouting.

Smiling, Diana pocketed the matches and lighter before ruffling Bellamy's hair. "Be good," she told her as she followed Bruce out the door, shutting it behind her.

When the door shut, Jason flopped onto the couch. "This is _bullshit!_" He exclaimed, beating a fist on the cushions.

Eyeing him warily, Bellamy chose to sit cross-legged on the floor by the fire, leaning into its warmth. She glanced back at Jason, who still looked angry, but he had at least stopped assaulting the couch.

"What?" Jason snapped, having caught Bellamy's stare.

"Wanna see something cool?" Bellamy blurted out, her eyes widening when she remembered what Diana told her.

_"Never show anyone what you can do, unless I give you permission."_

As Jason narrowed his eyes, Bellamy reasoned with herself, _Dee _wanted_ me to make friends, and this'll help. She won't mind. Right? Right._

Jason rose from the couch, walking closer. "Okay," he crossed his arms expectantly.

Bellamy grinned. "I'm gonna _blow _your _mind._"

Jason snorted. "Doubt it."

"Hey!"

"I mean, give it your best shot, but I'm not expecting anything mind-blowing."

Bellamy's grin grew into a smirk. "Alright, but you're gonna eat your words." With that, she turned to the fireplace, where the flames had died down to faint embers. Slowly, she reached into the fire and grabbed the biggest log, turning it over to stir up the flames.

Behind her, Jason leaped forward, grabbing her elbow and jerking it back. "Jesus shit, what the hell is _wrong_ with you?" He snapped. "Are you crazy? You just stuck your hand in—why aren't you screaming?"

It was true; Bellamy remained completely calm, just staring up at Jason with wide eyes. Upon further inspection, Jason realized that her hand, while covered in ash from the log she grabbed, was unharmed. He tugged her hand closer to his face, examining it closely. "How the hell did you do that?" He demanded.

Bellamy yanked her hand back, wiping the ash off on her black jeans. "I'm a witch," she said faux-seriously, wiggling her fingers in the air. At Jason's unimpressed look, Bellamy dropped her hands and stood up. "Nah, I'm just weird, I guess. I've always been able to do stuff like that. Can make fire, too, but Dee doesn't like it when I do it without her."

Jason almost looked disappointed. "How come?"

Her face growing warm, Bellamy cleared her throat and looked away. "'Cause when I first tried, I caught someone's hair on fire," she mumbled.

Holding a fist in front of his mouth, Jason tried to stifle his laughter, but to no avail. At Bellamy's glare, he cleared his throat, but he kept the wide grin on his face. After a moment, he asked, "Is that why you had the matches?"

Bellamy frowned, thinking before she decided to reply, "Sort of. It's like... a security blanket, I guess? As long as I've got a lighter with me, I know I can protect myself." When Jason said nothing, Bellamy felt her face grow hot once more. "I know it's stupid, but—"

"It's not stupid," Jason interrupted, grabbing her arm again, this time pulling her up so that they were both standing. "I-I get it. I used to carry a pocket knife with me everywhere, even after Bruce first adopted me."

Bellamy gave him a sort of half-smile, and he returned it. She pretended to ignore that his smile looked like a cross between a devious smirk and an uncomfortable grimace.

Suddenly, someone cleared their throat, and Bellamy shrieked, jumping nearly a foot in the air. Jason, who had been unaffected, laughed at her expense again. Once he calmed down, he turned to the man who stood in the doorway; he was a tall, graying man who held himself regally, and he held a small covered tray in his hands.

"Yo, Alfie," Jason grinned, nearing the man.

"Hello, Master Jason," Alfie sighed, seeming to be used to his informal behavior. He handed Jason the tray and turned to Bellamy, briefly eyeing her ash-covered palm.

"Miss Prince, I would prefer that you avoided touching the fireplace," He said, procuring a small towel and handing it to her.

Bellamy took the towel, and her face grew even warmer (if that were possible). "Thank you, sir."

"Please, just Alfred will be fine, Miss Prince."

"Right," Bellamy muttered, wiping her hands and handing back the towel. "Then, uh, call me Bellamy, I guess."

Alfred flashed a barely-noticeable smile as he took the towel and folded it up. "Of course, Miss Bellamy." Turning back to Jason, he continued, "Master Wayne wanted me to remind you that the two of you are to remain here while he and Miss Prince meet. Under no circumstances are you to leave this room." He left after that, just as suddenly as he had appeared, shutting the door behind him with an air of grace. Bellamy didn't know you could shut a door gracefully, but, hey, apparently there was a lot she didn't know.

Jason scoffed, setting the tray (which apparently held a small plate of cookies) on the table. "He thinks I'm just a kid! This is stupid!" When Bellamy's only reaction was to grab a cookie and shove it into her mouth, he glared at her. "Why aren't you more upset about this?" He demanded. "You're stuck here, too!"

Bellamy shrugged. "Dee hasn't even let me out in the field yet; she keeps saying I'm not ready for it." She grabbed another cookie and threw it at him. Jason caught it easily, giving her an incredulous look. "'Sides, it's nice to hang out with someone my age for once."

"That's fucking corny," Jason snorted, knocking her shoulder with his, but he smiled despite himself. Then he paused, eyeing her. "How old are you?"

"I'll be thirteen next month," she replied, puffing her chest out slightly.

"Ha! I'll be fourteen next week!"

Bellamy smacked his arm, giggling lightly. "You know what I mean, loser."

Jason paused for a moment, thinking, and his smile grew into a mischievous smirk. "Want me to show you around?" He asked, clasping his hands behind his back and attempting to school his features.

Bellamy furrowed her eyebrows. "Aren't we supposed to stay here? We'd get in trouble."

If possible, Jason's grin grew wider. "Only if we get caught."

She considered it for a moment before returning his grin. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

They ran through the halls of Wayne Manor, Jason leading the way with Bellamy trailing close behind. They laughed and shouted (as quietly as they could to avoid getting caught) as their trained feet barely made a sound against the hardwood floor.

Eventually, they ran back to the room Bruce had placed them in, and they collapsed against the couch, breathing heavily.

"Your house is gigantic," Bellamy breathed, staring off into the distance.

"Yeah," Jason mumbled.

The two sat in comfortable silence, each enjoying the other's company until the door was pushed open. Bruce strode in, stopping in front of the couch where Jason and Bellamy sat and eyed them warily.

"You didn't leave the room?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Jason as if he had expected otherwise.

Jason crosses his arms, but he otherwise stayed where he was. "Uh, yes?" When all Bruce did was eye Jason skeptically, he snapped, "What? Would you prefer we _did_ leave the room?"

Bruce cleared his throat. "No! It's just... unexpected."

"Yes, well, they're still here," Diana interjected before Jason could reply, walking to the couch. "And I believe it's time for Bellamy and me to take our leave."

Bellamy shot up from where she was slumped against the cushions. "Aw, Dee," she whined, "we were having fun!"

Diana ruffled the young girl's hair. "I'm sure you'll have many chances to see Jason in the future, but right now, we must return home. Gateway City is a long way away, after all."

"Alright," Bellamy huffed, taking Diana's hand as she began to lead her out the door. "Bye!" She called back over her shoulder to Jason, waving her free hand.

Jason, allowing a small, crooked smile on his face, waved back. _Maybe having a friend isn't such a bad idea._

* * *

**A/N**

**So here's chapter one! The first few chapters will be pre-A Death in the Family, and then it'll go from there. I'm honestly really excited about this, and I have tons of ideas for Bellamy's story.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this, and please be sure to let me know what you think, good, bad, or otherwise! Thanks!**


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